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PBA 069
8:35:55 PM Basement Cat: It's the middle of the night. I have no idea why you're up or where any of you are. Except Aziz. 8:36:13 PM | Edited 8:36:18 PM Janis: ((Where is Aziz?)) 8:36:20 PM Basement Cat: ((Busy elsewhere!)) 8:36:40 PM Janis: Janis is feeling the munchies and goes to the galley to make a midnight snack 8:37:07 PM Basement Cat: Val is there, with a cup of tea and a blanket around his shoulders. The blanket is not black. 8:37:23 PM Janis: Couldn't sleep? 8:38:40 PM Basement Cat: Val: No. I'm a little sore. Qui--I spent a little too long in the practice room hitting one of those bag things. 8:39:08 PM Janis: Bad day for Quint, huh? 8:40:22 PM Basement Cat: Val: It was awful. We did a good thing, but... 8:41:11 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... it was easy, and things like that shouldn't be easy. 8:41:19 PM Janis: Yeah. 8:41:59 PM Janis: ...we probably shouldn't hang around the market too much longer after this 8:42:17 PM Janis: That Neogi seemed to know us. I'm not sure this is gonna stay easy. 8:42:58 PM Janis: ...Have you talked more with the...new guys? 8:43:12 PM Basement Cat: Val: No. I just went and hid. 8:43:20 PM Janis: Janis nods 8:44:29 PM Basement Cat: Val: I haven't seen Wynn, either. 8:45:10 PM Janis: ...for what it's worth, I think she liked what you did. Even if she didn't like how you did it. 8:46:04 PM Basement Cat: Val: I keep telling myself we wouldn't've been able to afford saving as many as we did if I hadn't done it, but I can't really know that for sure. 8:46:35 PM Janis: ...I didn't have ten thousand gold on hand. And that was just for three. 8:46:50 PM Janis: If it wasn't for you and Aziz, we wouldn't've saved them all. 8:49:02 PM Wynn: Wynn steps in, changed into her lighter armor. 8:49:24 PM Basement Cat: Val: Hey. 8:50:08 PM Wynn: ...hi. Are you ok? 8:50:20 PM Wynn: Wynn motions towards the tea/blanket, but heads to the sink for water. 8:50:55 PM Basement Cat: Val: I think so. Just a little afraid to try to sleep, that's all. 8:51:37 PM Basement Cat: Val: I put some honey and a shot of... something alcoholic and spicy in my tea, but I'm... afraid I'll start thinking again. 8:51:44 PM Basement Cat: Val: Janis is keeping me company. 8:51:55 PM Janis: Janis nods 8:51:59 PM Wynn: Wynn frowns a bit. 8:52:19 PM Janis: ...um...incidentally... 8:52:26 PM Janis: I never got the rest of my gold back. 8:52:31 PM Janis: After the sale. 8:52:33 PM Basement Cat: Val: Not much. I don't want to be drunk right now either. 8:53:03 PM Basement Cat: Val: Oh, right. Remind me tomorrow, I haven't got the portable hole with me right now. 8:53:10 PM Janis: Janis nods 8:54:48 PM Wynn: Wynn sighs and sits with her water. 8:55:13 PM Janis: Janis goes and sits at the table, if she hasn't already 8:55:35 PM Basement Cat: Val: It hurts when I move. I'm too out-of-shape for boxing, apparently. 8:55:52 PM Wynn: Quintilian could work on his form. 8:56:53 PM Basement Cat: Val: Yeah. Not really our... my usual style, but it can't hurt. ... well, it can, but only literally and in the short-term. 8:59:31 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... at least they're not slaves anymore. 8:59:54 PM Wynn: Wynn nods. 9:00:01 PM Janis: Always a good thing. 9:02:16 PM Basement Cat: Val: Sometimes I can't tell if I'm actually a decent person pretending to be an asshole occasionally, or an asshole pretending to be a decent person. 9:02:38 PM Janis: Janis nods 9:03:08 PM Janis: I've tried some of those books Tarak recommended about that...they don't help much. 9:03:30 PM Janis: ...actually, he didn't recommend any particular books. 9:03:47 PM Janis: So, I've been just trying the books in the library that I think might help. 9:04:17 PM Basement Cat: Val: We should ask him for some more specific recommendations. 9:05:25 PM Wynn: I'm sorry, Valerian. I saw you in the training room, but... I should have stopped to help. At least so you wouldn't hurt yourself. 9:06:16 PM Basement Cat: Val waves a hand. "I can heal too. It's fine." 9:06:47 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... I know a lot of people like that, you know? I've had to be nice to them at parties. 9:07:10 PM Janis: Like the merchant? 9:07:46 PM Basement Cat: Val: No, like me. 9:08:18 PM Janis: ...what's wrong with people like you? 9:08:55 PM Wynn: Like he was at the slavers' pavilion. 9:09:08 PM Basement Cat: Val: Yeah. Like I was pretending to be. I really hope I was pretending. Ugh. 9:09:49 PM Janis: When you described yourself, you said you, Quint, Holly, you're all really different parts of one person, right? 9:11:42 PM Basement Cat: Val nods. 9:12:28 PM Janis: And, while you were doing your thing, I can't imagine Quint was happy with any of it. Even if we were doing it for a good reason, he still hated it, right? 9:13:19 PM Basement Cat: Val: Yeah. 9:15:06 PM Janis: Then that can't be you. 9:15:16 PM Janis: Because if it was, you wouldn't be Quint. 9:15:40 PM Janis: If Quint is a part of you, then no matter how much you act like that guy, deep down, you still aren't. 9:18:09 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... you're right. I think. Right? 9:18:41 PM Janis: I think so. 9:20:17 PM Janis: Janis smiles at him. 9:20:41 PM Basement Cat: He looks at Wynn. 9:21:12 PM Wynn: ...I hope so. 9:22:55 PM Wynn: Sorry, I'm just very... conflicted about the whole thing. It's hard to think through. 9:24:02 PM Basement Cat: Val: Four people are free. 9:24:42 PM Wynn: Yes, but those who enslaved them are now funded and probably off to replenish their supply. 9:26:49 PM Basement Cat: Val: We couldn't do more under their laws. 9:27:23 PM Wynn: Laws that permit slavery aren't just laws. 9:27:48 PM Janis: But we couldn't fight all the Neogi to free them. 9:28:01 PM Janis: Either we did nothing or we did what we could with what we had. 9:28:59 PM Wynn: Don't get me wrong. I AM glad they are free. The means were just... difficult. 9:29:34 PM Wynn: And I shouldn't have worn my armor. 9:29:49 PM Basement Cat: Val: It did let you keep your face covered, though. 9:30:03 PM Basement Cat: Val: I hope you made awful faces at them the whole time. 9:30:10 PM Wynn: Associating the Saint with slave traders was not intended. 9:30:28 PM Basement Cat: Val: I implied you didn't have a choice. I think they believed it. 9:31:27 PM Janis: You should've said she was a zombie. 9:31:37 PM Janis: Like you'd brought her back from the dead to serve you. 9:31:41 PM Wynn: As far as making faces, I'm surprised that nobody heard my teeth grinding. 9:31:59 PM Wynn: It was all I could do not to lash out. 9:33:07 PM Basement Cat: Val: I'm still surprised I didn't throw up. 9:33:53 PM Basement Cat: Val: You know, Tarkishi still has slaves, but they're so valuable they're treated better than free people. People sell themselves into slavery to get the benefits of it. 9:34:35 PM Janis: ...that sounds...like...a special kind of creepy. 9:34:36 PM Wynn: Wynn would frown, but her face has been screwed into that position for hours. 9:35:04 PM Basement Cat: Val shrugs. "They're considered impossible to subvert. That puts them above anyone else, apart from the Guides, maybe." 9:35:17 PM Basement Cat: Val: And the Guides are in danger all the time. 9:35:33 PM Janis: ...the who? 9:36:29 PM Basement Cat: Val: The Guides, you know. 9:36:36 PM Basement Cat: Val: The people who lead others through the Blight. 9:36:46 PM Janis: ............ 9:36:58 PM Janis: People actually want to go through the Blight? 9:37:03 PM Janis: ....why? 9:37:20 PM Basement Cat: Val: Well, yes, sometimes there's valuables there, or someone will get lost, or it's in between two safe places. 9:37:46 PM Janis: .........oh... 9:38:52 PM Basement Cat: Val: Guides are trusted, that's the point. 9:39:08 PM Basement Cat: Val: Slaves are too. But there are few of either, and the Guides stick to the Blight. 9:40:08 PM Janis: ...your society is weird. 9:41:22 PM Basement Cat: Val: I know. ... but you'd never put a chain on a slave. 9:41:41 PM Janis: ...I guess that's better...kinda. 9:42:17 PM Basement Cat: Val: And when they want a new position, well... usually they get what they want. 9:42:39 PM Janis: ...does this really count as slavery? 9:42:53 PM Janis: It sounds more like a job where you get paid in food and stuff instead of money. 9:43:19 PM Basement Cat: Val: Gifts. They get a lot of gifts. A lot of them take jobs as secretaries and teachers for people of rank. 9:45:53 PM Basement Cat: Val: Because you know they won't hurt your children. 9:46:17 PM Basement Cat: Val: My music tutor was a family slave. He taught my father, too. 9:46:47 PM Wynn: How do you know? 9:46:52 PM Janis: ....this is a really, really uncomfortable conversation. 9:47:16 PM Basement Cat: Val: Because slaves don't do that. Ever. 9:47:29 PM Janis: Don't do what? 9:47:42 PM Basement Cat: Val: Betray their families. 9:48:32 PM Wynn: Why? 9:49:33 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... I don't know, they just don't. It's... not done. 9:51:00 PM Wynn: Wynn shakes her head and takes a drink of water. 9:52:02 PM Basement Cat: Val: It's nothing like what the Neogi do. 9:52:35 PM Janis: At some point, you guys realize we're gonna need to really talk to them about what to do now. 9:52:59 PM Janis: I can't imagine they'll all just wanna up and join us. And I'm not sure we really want them all. 9:53:58 PM Wynn: Wynn leans forward and rests her head in her hands. 9:55:31 PM Basement Cat: Val: We can't abandon them, either. 9:55:44 PM Janis: Well...no. 9:55:57 PM Janis: But we should first explain what coming with us...is...right? 9:56:13 PM Wynn: Obviously. 9:56:42 PM Basement Cat: Val: Right. 9:56:44 PM Wynn: Wynn sounds tired. 9:57:26 PM Janis: Also...maybe find out exactly who we got. 9:58:06 PM Ceiling Cat: Iskandar enters. 9:58:12 PM Wynn: Wynn sighs and drops one hand. "I assume someone got them a place to sleep for the night. We can take care of it in the morning." 10:00:54 PM Ceiling Cat: Take care of who? 10:01:05 PM Basement Cat: Val: We bought four slaves. 10:01:17 PM Janis: ....uhhhhhhhhhh 10:01:17 PM Janis: The slaves we...bought. 10:01:20 PM Janis: Kinda. 10:03:37 PM Iskandar: Iskandar blinks. "... why?" 10:03:44 PM Janis: To free them. 10:04:08 PM Janis: We thought it was a good idea at the time. 10:05:14 PM Iskandar: Iskandar: Oh. Are they all murderers? 10:05:48 PM Janis: I don't think so. 10:05:53 PM Janis: We're not sure about the gnome. 10:07:14 PM Iskandar: So why isn't it a good idea now? 10:07:48 PM Janis: Well...Quint had a mini-breakdown and now we're not sure what to do with them. Or if we should do anything. 10:07:58 PM Janis: Otherwise, I guess it was still a good idea. 10:10:50 PM Wynn: Wynn drops her other hand and just looks angry. "I hate this." 10:11:35 PM Basement Cat: Val: Me too. ... but we made a difference to them, didn't we? 10:12:04 PM Iskandar: Iskandar looks at Wynn. "Well, I obviously came in on the tail end of the conversation, but I'm going to butt in anyway. What specifically do you hate?" 10:12:42 PM Wynn: Everything. 10:12:55 PM Iskandar: Good. Very Paladiny. 10:13:15 PM Wynn: The Neogi, the slave trade, the fact that there are known slavers out there right now that I can't do anything about. 10:13:38 PM Wynn: I hate that we're stuck here on this ship and can't do anything about anything. 10:13:45 PM Basement Cat: Val winces. 10:13:46 PM Janis: .................... 10:14:33 PM Wynn: I hate the grey area that so much exists in. I hate not knowing what to do. 10:15:12 PM Janis: .....I hated feeling good about it. 10:15:20 PM Janis: Proud of it, actually. 10:15:41 PM Basement Cat: Val: But we did rescue them. Four of them. We made a difference to those four. 10:15:49 PM Janis: Yes. We did. 10:16:19 PM Janis: And we did it all without killing anyone or leaving anything worse than when we left it. 10:16:38 PM Janis: And I could help with that, in a way. And talk about it. 10:16:38 PM Wynn: And I hate that I couldn't kill them. 10:16:53 PM Janis: I know how that feels. 10:16:59 PM Janis: Janis goes to get some water. 10:17:28 PM Iskandar: Kill who? The Neogi? 10:18:46 PM Basement Cat: Val: Slavers in general, probably. 10:19:38 PM Wynn: Wynn nods, slightly. 10:20:28 PM Iskandar: If you had tried, you probably would have ended up on the auction block next. 10:22:25 PM Wynn: I feel like I still should. Now that they're free.... I hate that we legitimized them. 10:23:22 PM Basement Cat: Val: Ugh. 10:26:37 PM Iskandar: They're Neogi. They don't need you to legitimize them. 10:26:59 PM Basement Cat: Val: True. 10:27:15 PM Janis: Well, why didn't you say this before we went? 10:27:41 PM Wynn: Say what? 10:28:47 PM Janis: Before we went. You seemed on board. 10:29:27 PM Wynn: I figured my desire to kill them all was probably assumed. And... this isn't the first time I've been party to trying to buy a slave. 10:29:55 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Aziz al-Awlari putters in, tousled and sleepy. "...why are there so many awake people at sleep o'clock?" 10:30:11 PM Janis: Angst. 10:30:35 PM Aziz al-Awlari: I don't have a pun for that. Why are we angsting today? 10:30:47 PM Janis: Slavery, mostly. 10:30:56 PM Iskandar: Tea. 10:31:06 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Don't angst at tea. It helps dragons sleep. 10:31:33 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Slavery is acceptable angstbait though. Why are we angsting at slavery today? 10:31:39 PM Janis: ...just learning this now? 10:31:45 PM Janis: The tea thing, that is? 10:31:47 PM Iskandar: No, I mean, I'm up for tea, not angst. 10:32:20 PM Janis: Different reasons. 10:33:04 PM Basement Cat: Val: Dragons like tea? 10:33:18 PM Iskandar: I do. 10:33:20 PM Aziz al-Awlari: With honey, apparently. 10:33:31 PM Janis: Is that why you're here? 10:34:10 PM Aziz al-Awlari: No, I'm here because numbers have no meaning. Let's get back to the slavery thing, that sounds more interesting. 10:34:29 PM Janis: Wynn worries we legitimized the Neogi. 10:34:41 PM Janis: Which I think means, we made their slavery a good thing. 10:35:00 PM Wynn: It means they'll be encouraged to go capture more innocent people to replace the ones we bought. 10:35:20 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Implying they weren't a multiplanar organization before we got there, and the roughly ten thousand gold we gave them was what sparked their jump from "casual slave-junkies" to "hardcore slave industrialists"? 10:35:56 PM | Edited 10:36:04 PM Janis: ....that is way too many words for no sleep. 10:35:58 PM Wynn: Wynn frowns at him. 10:36:49 PM Aziz al-Awlari: I'm actually surprisingly well rested, for reasons I'll not discuss without a Geas or an NDA. But slavery. 10:36:55 PM Iskandar: He's got a point. It's what Neogi do, Wynn. It's the core of their society. THey'll keep doing it without or without us, until we kill them. 10:37:16 PM Janis: ...Geas? 10:37:21 PM Basement Cat: Val: .... really. 10:37:24 PM Wynn: Which is why I wanted to kill them. 10:38:09 PM Wynn: Want. 10:38:35 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Attacking them there, in the seat of their local power strata, would have gotten us all killed and them seen as "victims of irrational crime spree" by the local authorities. Even if we managed to kill them, we would have violated the local law and been imprisoned for our troubles - or worse. 10:38:59 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Attacking them could only have one possible outcome - strengthening them as a whole. 10:39:02 PM Basement Cat: Val: Go back to the geas. 10:39:13 PM Janis: What's a geas? 10:40:02 PM Aziz al-Awlari: A long-term, powerful abjurant enchantment that compels the subject to act in a certain manner or towards a goal. Subjects who fail to do so are harmed by the spell. 10:40:05 PM Basement Cat: Val: Does the "surprisingly well-rested" part involve anything illicit or immoral? 10:40:20 PM Wynn: Ugh. 10:40:21 PM Aziz al-Awlari: No to both. I think. 10:40:33 PM Wynn: Wynn drops her head down to the table, resting her forehead on it. 10:40:34 PM Basement Cat: Val: Good. ... I think. 10:40:49 PM Janis: You were with Marti, right? 10:41:19 PM Aziz al-Awlari: If you wanted to fight the Neogi, fight them on Lawful terms - try to get the local law changed. Use civil means to fight an incivil system, instead of sinking to their level and fighting violence with violence. 10:41:50 PM Wynn: Have we met? 10:42:49 PM Aziz al-Awlari: ...yes, I know "hitting it with a stick" is your favorite method of "failure to abet criminal acts." I'm trying to say that it's not the appropriate choice here, and would have made things worse, not better. 10:43:28 PM Basement Cat: Val: To be fair, we may simply have not had a large enough stick. 10:43:48 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Get the law changed. Barring that, make it unprofitable for them to sell there - either by pointing out the flaws inherent in their contract system to potential customers, or playing up the incivility of their system to an emotionally-charged populace. 10:44:25 PM Janis: Well, first thing we should tell them is once they have their slaves out of the tent, they'll be attacked. 10:44:35 PM Wynn: And what of all the slaves that then just get stuck with the Neogi? 10:44:50 PM Aziz al-Awlari: At least there aren't more of them. 10:44:55 PM Janis: Imagine if one of the larger slaves revolted like the dwarf did. 10:45:23 PM Janis: It's not safe to buy slaves from there. You do not know what you're getting and there's no guarantee of control. 10:45:44 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Which a prepared insurgency could use to sway buyers who might not be swayed by "but it's immoral!" 10:46:02 PM Aziz al-Awlari: The net result is still undermining the Neogi hold on the trade. 10:46:04 PM Janis: ...................we should totally do that. 10:46:19 PM Janis: If we can get the slaves on board, we could make up a real fuss about that. 10:46:36 PM Janis: We were attacked by the very product they sold us. It is not worth the purchase. 10:47:18 PM Wynn: Again I ask what of the slaves that would then be stuck with the Neogi? 10:47:43 PM Janis: I think I read something about this in one of the books. 10:48:00 PM Janis: If sales go down, that means prices must go down to encourage buyers. 10:48:00 PM Aziz al-Awlari: The Neogi won't keep a product that is unprofitable. They'd either be freed or killed, and in either situation they've escaped a life of slavery. 10:48:16 PM Wynn: Wynn grinds her teeth again. 10:48:19 PM Janis: Not liking that second option much. 10:48:31 PM Wynn: You know which it would be. 10:48:49 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... you're not going to have any teeth left if you keep grinding them like that... 10:49:15 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Death is as much a part of life as eating. They rolled poorly on the gamble of life, and while it's not a fate we'd wish on them, it's certainly better than a life abused as a living meat machine. 10:49:44 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Given the option of "life enslaved" and "quick death" I'd pick death too. 10:50:16 PM Wynn: Wynn stands suddenly and walks to the opposite side of the room from Aziz, crossing her arms. 10:50:19 PM Janis: ...I'm not sure about that. 10:50:44 PM Janis: Life is life, and that means there's a chance for something more. 10:50:51 PM Janis: Death is...nothing. 10:50:55 PM Janis: You're just dead. 10:51:42 PM Basement Cat: Val: I don't even know if the slave trade is that profitable to begin with. 10:52:32 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Death isn't nothing. Maybe it's the cleric speaking, but there's realms beyond this one and gods that tend their creations. WE might be trapped here by some soul-prison spell, but everyone else who dies goes to a final resting place. 10:52:47 PM Aziz al-Awlari: ...probably. 10:52:59 PM Wynn: Just stop. 10:53:15 PM Iskandar: Stop what. 10:53:33 PM Wynn: Talking out of his ass like he knows a damn thing about it. 10:53:47 PM Janis: ...about his ass? 10:54:29 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Says the paladin to the cleric. I figured you of all people would acknowledge the mercy of the gods on the downtrodden, even if it's a posthumous mercy. 10:54:53 PM Janis: It's not mercy. 10:55:02 PM Janis: Running through a forest for eternity isn't mercy. 10:55:15 PM Janis: Sitting on a cloud, blissed out forever isn't mercy. 10:55:18 PM Janis: It's death. 10:55:37 PM Janis: Any part of you that once cared dies, and you're stuck in a state of not caring forever. 10:55:51 PM Janis: Why does everything keep acting like this is good? 10:56:07 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Because sometimes it's all we have. 10:56:23 PM Iskandar: You guys do realize we have a dead person on board, right? 10:56:28 PM Iskandar: You could probably ask him. 10:57:50 PM Aziz al-Awlari: When you're a slave, and the only thing you can guarantee is that you'll be beaten tomorrow, the promise of not-having-to-care and eternal bliss really does seem a paradise in comparison. Maybe in comparison to the freedom we... well, used to have, it falls short - but up until being trapped on Nation, we'd been dealt pretty good cards in the game of life. 10:58:09 PM Wynn: Speak for yourself. 10:58:26 PM Iskandar: Why would he speak for anyone else? 10:58:29 PM Wynn: You have no idea what any of the rest of this crew has done or been through. 10:59:18 PM Aziz al-Awlari: You have the power to defend yourself, the ability to heal others with a touch, and the training to protect others from harm. How does that not make you better than a farmhand? 10:59:59 PM Aziz al-Awlari: How is that not a good hand? 11:00:19 PM Basement Cat: Val: She's had bad things happen as well. 11:00:21 PM Wynn: Do you know how I got that "good hand"? 11:00:31 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Hard work and dedication, I imagine. 11:00:32 PM Basement Cat: Val: Probably all of us have. 11:01:06 PM Aziz al-Awlari: I'm not claiming it fell out of the sky. I'm claiming the door was open to you at all, and not to the guy standing next to you in the lineup of life. 11:01:06 PM Wynn: My family was all killed in front of me. My sister taken by slavers. 11:01:07 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... I mostly don't remember mine. But I'm sure everyone else does. 11:01:20 PM Basement Cat: Val flinches. 11:01:41 PM Wynn: When I tried to buy her back, there were vigilantes who had tried to barge in and kill the slavers... but the slavers killed the slaves, MY SISTER, first. 11:01:55 PM Wynn: You think I don't know that trying to kill them all will end badly? 11:02:10 PM Janis: Janis frowns 11:02:13 PM Aziz al-Awlari: When I walked in, you were the one talking about killing them all. 11:02:21 PM Wynn: Because they deserve it. 11:02:36 PM Wynn: But do I think them killing my sister was a mercy? No. 11:02:39 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Then how was I supposed to read your mind and know you already knew the idea you were trying to sell was a bad idea? 11:02:49 PM Wynn: Because if she was still alive, there'd be a chance I might ever EVER see her again. 11:03:19 PM Wynn: Why do you think I went along with the purchasing plan? 11:04:08 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Remember the part where we are on an interdimensional living artifact and I can raise the dead with a gemstone and some chanting? We'll find a better cleric than I and they can cast True Resurrection. All you need to know is your sister's name, and her spirit has to accept the resurrection. 11:04:27 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Death stops being scary when you remember we have magic. 11:04:34 PM Wynn: And make her choose between me and the rest of our family. 11:04:49 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Yes, for maybe forty years. And then you both can go on home to the welcoming arms of the Saint. 11:05:03 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Or hell, go get more gemstones. You're an adventurer now. 11:05:08 PM Janis: Ten years. 11:05:12 PM Wynn: Our family is with Pelor. 11:05:20 PM Janis: Maybe. 11:06:36 PM Iskandar: Iskandar finishes his tea. 11:07:58 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Look. I'm not saying slavery is good. I'm not even saying death is good. But I'm also not saying death is the worst thing in the world. All I've been trying to say since the start of this is "pick your battles." There are things we can change in this world, and things we can't. Tackle the ones you can change, leave the world a better place than you found it, and hopefully Good will win over Evil in the long run. That's... that's really it. 11:08:25 PM Aziz al-Awlari: That's all we can do. 11:08:38 PM Wynn: That's all you can do. 11:09:00 PM Basement Cat: Val: We can persuade people that slavery isn't right. Make long-term policy changes. 11:10:18 PM Aziz al-Awlari: ...alright, I'm done hitting my head against your shield. We can have this discussion later, or never, whatever you prefer. I'm done. I'm going back to bed. 11:10:25 PM Aziz al-Awlari: Aziz al-Awlari leaves. 11:10:47 PM Janis: Janis follows after him 11:13:31 PM Basement Cat: Val: Of course, you realize if I try to free my family's slaves they're going to punch me in the face, or worse. 11:14:35 PM Wynn: Wynn sits again and buries her face in her hands. "Can't I just go back to when it was easy?" 11:15:34 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... I want to make it better for you, and I can't. 11:16:27 PM Iskandar: Iskandar frowns, and leaves, feeling suddenly like he's intruding. 11:18:27 PM Wynn: Wynn drops her hands and sits back a bit. "I didn't mean to blow up like that." 11:18:46 PM Wynn: I'll have to apologize tomorrow. 11:19:42 PM Basement Cat: Val: That's a good idea. The situation just reminds me of the starfish story. 11:20:47 PM Wynn: Wynn nods. "I just.... I let it get too personal. I just wish I could've made a difference to the one that mattered to me." 11:21:57 PM Wynn: I'm just tired. Tired of not being able to do anything to help everyone. Tired of feeling like I NEED to help everyone. ...maybe this is why we have such a short lifespan. 11:21:59 PM Basement Cat: Val: I'm positive you did at other times and in other places. 11:30:09 PM Wynn: I should have come and punched something with you. I just... didn't really want to see you. I'm sorry, again. For that. 11:30:48 PM Basement Cat: Val: I didn't want to see me either. Perfectly understandable. I just ... hope they'll work out that it wasn't real. 11:31:00 PM Basement Cat: Val: I mean, she didn't pound me to oatmeal with the chain, so at some level... 11:31:26 PM Wynn: I still wouldn't have let that happen. Though she is... deceptively strong. 11:32:35 PM Basement Cat: Val: I know. I wasn't lying at all when I said you have skills I need, you know. Keeping me not dead is a very useful skill. 11:34:22 PM Wynn: Wynn smiles, just a little. 11:34:46 PM Wynn: At least I can still do something right. 11:34:59 PM Basement Cat: Val: Hey, you do a lot right. 11:35:11 PM Basement Cat: Val: We may not have saved every starfish on the beach today, but we mattered to these four. 11:38:50 PM Wynn: We did. 11:39:20 PM Basement Cat: Val: Best to focus on the good. 11:44:03 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... the backrub offer is still open. 11:44:22 PM Basement Cat: Val: And we should, at some point, try and get some sleep. 11:44:33 PM Janis: Janis re-enters. 11:44:49 PM Janis: I'm not walking in on a...special backrub, am I? 11:44:55 PM Janis: Cause, I can just go then. 11:45:04 PM Basement Cat: Val: ... no. 11:45:47 PM Janis: I just heard you talk...you know what? Nevermind. 11:46:11 PM Wynn: It's fine, Janis. Was there something more you needed to talk about? 11:46:34 PM Janis: I just wanted some food. I forgot to get some when I cam in here the first time. 11:46:49 PM Janis: Janis goes into the fridge and pulls out some bread to make toast. 11:48:16 PM Basement Cat: Val: I wonder what's going on with Aziz. I'm always so surprised when he gets shouty. 11:49:04 PM Janis: He'll be fine. He went to bed. 11:49:24 PM Janis: Wynn, you should say your sorry in the morning. 11:49:29 PM Janis: I think he'd appreciate it. 11:50:03 PM Wynn: .....I was planning on it. 11:50:12 PM Janis: Good. Thanks. 11:50:32 PM Basement Cat: Val: It's like being attacked by a cloak. ... which has happened to us, now that I think of it. Bad analogy. 11:51:15 PM Janis: Janis grabs the toast when it is done. 11:51:39 PM Janis: Well, I think that's all I need. I'll see you guys tomorrow. 11:51:44 PM Janis: Janis goes to bed. 11:52:11 PM Wynn: ....I think I might take you up on that offer. If it's still open. 11:52:33 PM Basement Cat: Val: Of course. 11:52:36 PM Basement Cat: Val smiles. 11:55:22 PM Wynn: Wynn exits! 11:55:47 PM Basement Cat: He grabs his blanket, leaves the tea things in the sink and follows her.